The LET article makes it clear that the reported fees were inflated. There's zero point in criticising GB over the fee on the loan deal, because we have no idea what that fee actually was.

https://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/sport/24097585.blackburn-pulled-permanent-transfer-mcguire/

Meanwhile, we do know that he's working for owners who change their mind about transfer funds availability on the last day of the fricking transfer window.

Can you imagine working for them?

That said, the admin error appears to be a fuck up that GB is indirectly responsible for, and that one is unforgivable at the second time of happening.

1 hour ago, matt83 said:

 We’ve also lost 100% of the 8 games gone behind in so the tactics are still up for scrutiny. 

That's a whole different tactic. Those games have nothing to do with shutting up shop/holding out for the points. That wasn't an option, because we were behind. So far, JDT and the team have a 100% record at holding onto leads and getting three points. Whether that lasts is another question. I share everyone's concern that we'll be punished for it eventually. However, at the moment, it's hard to argue with success.

10 minutes ago, Realistic Rover said:

Gregg’s first action on Friday (after transfer window) is to seal Adam Wharton on a 4year minimum contract. Only on a 2 year pro deal at the moment. He’s special that kid.

Just for interest, it also has a 12 month option in it. So effectively 3 years. 

Don't disagree with him signing a longer one, of course! 

3 hours ago, 47er said:

Coventry fans say 1.5M and are hopping mad about it!

They also claim we came in earlier with a bigger offer and Coventry rejected it!

Huh. Okay. I guess I revoke my earlier comment that they could have got Hyam weeks ago.

21 minutes ago, Wing Wizard Windy Miller said:

We tried for Anel, Davis, SVDB, which were all in the public domain and if rumours are true JPVH - all before those 2.  

That would make them 

4th, if not 5th choice 

Or D/E list.  That's a fact.

In general, I'm quite happy with this approach to recruitment. Start with hugely ambitious targets, because sometimes they might come off. When those don't come off, because club with higher budgets bid higher or whatever, work your way down, ensuring that you're still bidding for players who are quality and can add to the team. Seems like the approach any competent DoF would adopt.

That said, I do agree with posters who've said it would have been good if they could have worked down that list faster. We could - presumably - have brought in Hyam weeks ago, which might have earned us vital extra points in two games where we were desperate for an experienced centre back.

Although (and this is nitpicky pedantics - so sorry!) I'm not sure I'd call 4th or 5th choice D/E list. The word "list" implies there is more than one player on it, so at the very least two at each tier. Personally, I'd have Anel, Davis and JPVH on my A list, for example. As in, any one of them would have been an absolutely top-notch signing.

2 hours ago, Sparks Rover said:

Ridiculous statement......he's so much better in every way.

He's played 70 minutes at Championship level. He's our fifth choice centre back going off how our manager has brought him in (remember he was behind Barnes) . Planned to become our 7th choice centre back if it's true we're bringing two centre backs in. I try to avoid calling people's opinions ridiculous, but to entirely judge a players ability off 70 minutes of top level game time (and declare him better than players who've got many 1000s of minutes under their belt) seems odd to me. 

He's *potentially* much better than Dolan. There's a difference. 

17 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

No source is accurate - but that last one was particularly bad. 

I think we can safely say Gallagher, Ayala and Dack are the three biggest earners and probably on around 20k (or a bit more). This is just because information from others on here said that Lenihan was finally offered terms of 20K+ which would have put him among the top earners. Kaminski is possibly in that bracket as well as he recently signed an extension. 

After that, you probably have the likes of Travis, Brittain, and Brereton on between 10k - 15k. 

Alot of the younger lads are on their first pro deals so Dolan, Buckley, and Wharton so probably around 5k. Wouldnt have thought the lads that came up from League 1 (Edun and Pickering) will be on much more or less than that either. 

 

Interesting. Thanks for the numbers. Personally, I'd be comfortable with Phillips being offered in the region of Dolan - given his undoubted potential - and despite the fact Dolan is likely to contribute a lot more this season. I'd be very worried if he was offered above Travis (our captain) or anywhere near Brereton.

Like I say, just my take on it. Fulham got £4.3 million for Harvey Elliott a while back, so if Phillips does break into the first team this year, at least he won't be leaving for nothing.

5 hours ago, JacknOry said:

Need to stop using these lists as they are all (bad) guesswork as none of them will know the actual salaries of players. 

Give us a source with better guesswork and we'll go with that. Hell, what are they on on Football Manager? That's probably not a bad estimate. 

Just going to reiterate that our god tier manager had Phillips behind Ayala, Wharton, Carter and Barnes at the start of the season. Comparisons to Shearer and talking about £40-£50million sales seem a little premature at the mo. 

1 hour ago, JacknOry said:

That link is very inaccurate to begin with. Then, if a 17 year old is put on pro terms to reflect his status as a first teamer/squad player and players feel they deserve more - they can come to the discussion table when their contracts need reneweing. I think most would understand the situation if the lad is worht more to the club long term than they are. Shearer came in on 10x the wages of other first teamers. You just accept it and see if you yourself get a better deal down the line. You earn due to your perceived value to the club. 

I'm really not sure how you evaluate how accurate or inaccurate any of those sites are. Does anyone know for certain what players are on? But if there's one that you think is more accurate, happy to go with that. I'm definitely no expert.

Personally, if I was Lewis Travis or Scott Wharton busting my gut every match, winning us football matches, I wouldn't see why some kid was worth more than me. Players should be rewarded at a club for what they do, not for what they potentially might do in the future. Otherwise, we're practically begging them to turn into Jack Rodwells.

1 hour ago, RevidgeBlue said:

Think that's rubbish personally. None of the rest of the squad (with the possible exception of BBD if he signs a new deal) have a potential future resale value of £40 - £50m. When they have, well then, then they might have a right to complain

Do you think the rest of the squad were unhappy about Shearer earning more than everyone else 92 - 96? Or do you think they'd just be happy to have him in their side rather than someone else's?

Shearer came in with a track record that already proved why he was getting paid what he was. Any striker in the squad could look at him and go, "did I score 21 goals last season? no? better stop complaining then". Plus he banged in goals at a crazy pace after he got here. He stood out as the best player in the team by a country mile. Ash Phillips is unlikely to be able to do that. Even with our threadbare squad, he's our fifth choice centre back. 

29 minutes ago, JacknOry said:

We could match 10k p/w surely? Or even better it. We are paying more than that for many of the loans we bringing in. Gallacher is on 20k+ and some would argue he is not worth that. Ayala is on top wages and while a beast, plays half a season (to date). Dack is a top earner but another that has not played for 2 seasons (unfortunately). Doesnt seem like we are getting much value with those three contracts at the moment. We could definitely get value from a contract half that size for a promising your CD claimed by many as best his position in the country at his age. Or, lose for a pittance to Spuds. 

4 year deal, 10k per week - get it done now, Waggot! 

By time contract ends, he is still a kid ffs. I doubt he will finish it anyway if he becomes the big star many expect. 

At that point, 75% of our squad start knocking on Waggot's door asking why some kid who's played one game is getting 2-3 times their salary. Would annihilate squad morale instantly. 

Estimated (guessed) squad wages last year: https://salarysport.com/football/sky-bet-championship/blackburn-rovers/

54 minutes ago, BankEnd Rover said:

Annnnyway…….We want Sepp but I have a suspicion that it will fall through…Anyone the same? 

 

Yup. I always worry till they're signed on the dotted line. And we really need a centre back urgently. Not sure Ayala can get through the three games this coming week. 

Plus Lancs.live have jinxed it by doing a "what to expect from Sepp" feature before he's even signed. 

7 minutes ago, J*B said:

You only don’t pay if a transfer request is handed in which waives the right to a fee i.e. the player wants to go.

You're thinking of the loyalty bonus. We pay that if they haven't put in a transfer request. But it is definitely not equivalent to the whole rest of their contract.

10 minutes ago, yankfan said:

Do we even have a reserve CB for this weekend?  If Phillips is indeed off to Spurs who do we have behind Ayala and Wharton? 

As I understand it, Phillips has to see out his scholarship which has almost a year left. I've seen nothing suggesting he'll be sold before the weekend/we bring in CB replacements.